I Ain’t No Cookie Cutter
Christian!
Written By: Dave DeRose
Just because I make mistakes and say stupid things sometimes doesn't mean I don't take my faith seriously. To what standard am I being held? I am a flawed being; we all are. I have the same struggles everyone has: desiring material things, jealousy, pride and anger, even rage, especially road rage, if I'm honest. Sometimes I win my battles against these vices, and sometimes I lose. They didn't go away when I was baptized either. We are all susceptible to sin. When I do mess up, I know God's grace will blanket me as long as I confess my failings to God and ask for His unending forgiveness. In admitting them to Him, He has revealed a paths for me to improve myself. This has not always been pleasant, but most importantly, it isn't immediate. I am a constant construction site; hard hat required. That is why I am blessed to have good Christian friends who support my self-improvement, without which this would be a lonely journey. Steel sharpens steel.
Since going public with my faith, I have become highly sensitive to the perception of others towards me and my faith. There exists a standard, and, I would go as far to say, it's an unrealistic one--a preconceived notion for who I should be and how I should act. But I am no cookie cutter Christian. Truth be told, there is no "right" way to be a Christian. Being a Christian means acknowledging flaws, trying to work on them, praying about them, but ultimately being thankful that Jesus forgives, accepts, and loves me even with all my flaws. God is gracious.
So next time I mess up, please don't call me a "bad Christian" or suggest that my faith is fake. Know that I take God seriously. I'm striving to be more Christ-like, but I know there are so many ways--too many to count--where I fall short. There was only one perfect human who has ever walked this earth, Jesus. As much as I'd like to be like Him, by nature I'm not. No human can. And that's okay.
I don't want to live behind a curtain of false impressions either. I could put on a fake face in public and act as a "perfect" Christian, which would be disingenuous. I desire to be real with people. I feel there is a major problem with many of us Christians: creating a facade that seems unrealistic and usually is. People aren't stupid; they know we're not as perfect as we are pretending to be. Being fake and putting on a "Christian" show pushes people away. Away from God. The time for owning ourselves on this has come.
We need a revolution of thought, where people accept themselves, especially their shortcomings, and realize that imperfection is the norm. Let's not be afraid to be flawed. We are all messed up. All we can do is read the Bible, pray, work to improve ourselves, and rest in the God of restoration. It is okay not to be perfect, but we must strive to improve. It is comforting to know that God works on us. If we abide in Him and keep our hearts open, He makes necessary paths clear when we are ready to walk them.
There is no one way to be a Christian-- we are all walking down different paths to realize the same goal: to understand who it is God means for us to be. We all have struggles, and pretending like they don't exist is deceiving. We must be more genuine, accurate, and honest. Let's show how God's restorative grace actually works in an authentic and open way. Truth is, we are all messed up, and believing in God doesn't fix us and make us without faults. What building a relationship with Jesus does do is open the construction site within us. So I ask you, please accept me as I am and always will be, God’s work in progress. And pray for me, He has extensive work left to do.
Just because I make mistakes and say stupid things sometimes doesn't mean I don't take my faith seriously. To what standard am I being held? I am a flawed being; we all are. I have the same struggles everyone has: desiring material things, jealousy, pride and anger, even rage, especially road rage, if I'm honest. Sometimes I win my battles against these vices, and sometimes I lose. They didn't go away when I was baptized either. We are all susceptible to sin. When I do mess up, I know God's grace will blanket me as long as I confess my failings to God and ask for His unending forgiveness. In admitting them to Him, He has revealed a paths for me to improve myself. This has not always been pleasant, but most importantly, it isn't immediate. I am a constant construction site; hard hat required. That is why I am blessed to have good Christian friends who support my self-improvement, without which this would be a lonely journey. Steel sharpens steel.
Since going public with my faith, I have become highly sensitive to the perception of others towards me and my faith. There exists a standard, and, I would go as far to say, it's an unrealistic one--a preconceived notion for who I should be and how I should act. But I am no cookie cutter Christian. Truth be told, there is no "right" way to be a Christian. Being a Christian means acknowledging flaws, trying to work on them, praying about them, but ultimately being thankful that Jesus forgives, accepts, and loves me even with all my flaws. God is gracious.
So next time I mess up, please don't call me a "bad Christian" or suggest that my faith is fake. Know that I take God seriously. I'm striving to be more Christ-like, but I know there are so many ways--too many to count--where I fall short. There was only one perfect human who has ever walked this earth, Jesus. As much as I'd like to be like Him, by nature I'm not. No human can. And that's okay.
I don't want to live behind a curtain of false impressions either. I could put on a fake face in public and act as a "perfect" Christian, which would be disingenuous. I desire to be real with people. I feel there is a major problem with many of us Christians: creating a facade that seems unrealistic and usually is. People aren't stupid; they know we're not as perfect as we are pretending to be. Being fake and putting on a "Christian" show pushes people away. Away from God. The time for owning ourselves on this has come.
We need a revolution of thought, where people accept themselves, especially their shortcomings, and realize that imperfection is the norm. Let's not be afraid to be flawed. We are all messed up. All we can do is read the Bible, pray, work to improve ourselves, and rest in the God of restoration. It is okay not to be perfect, but we must strive to improve. It is comforting to know that God works on us. If we abide in Him and keep our hearts open, He makes necessary paths clear when we are ready to walk them.
There is no one way to be a Christian-- we are all walking down different paths to realize the same goal: to understand who it is God means for us to be. We all have struggles, and pretending like they don't exist is deceiving. We must be more genuine, accurate, and honest. Let's show how God's restorative grace actually works in an authentic and open way. Truth is, we are all messed up, and believing in God doesn't fix us and make us without faults. What building a relationship with Jesus does do is open the construction site within us. So I ask you, please accept me as I am and always will be, God’s work in progress. And pray for me, He has extensive work left to do.
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